


Kaleidoscope

by ThereIsAn_Ace_UpTheseSleeves



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: A seagull snatches Jeremy’s food so like, A world with no colour, Boy-travels-USA-to-find-himself, Dreams, Fluff, In which you can see colours after your soulmate makes physical contact with you, Jeremy doesn’t know what to do with himself, Light Angst, M/M, Soulmates AU, Traveling, Watch out for that coo, after high school
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 09:15:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13948482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThereIsAn_Ace_UpTheseSleeves/pseuds/ThereIsAn_Ace_UpTheseSleeves
Summary: He’d heard people talk about it.Colours.A speck of colour there, and here, and everywhere. Everyone knew that meeting your soulmate triggered your ability to see colour.The only problem was that Jeremy didn’t believe in soulmates.





	Kaleidoscope

**Author's Note:**

> You know, I sHOULD be working on my three-chapter fic, but I had a dream and it was a good idea so I was like “I gotta write this.” And when I finished I was like “I gotta post this.” So,,,, *throws soulmate AU at you* 
> 
> In which you can’t see colour until your soulmate makes physical contact with you for the first time.

He’d heard people talk about it. From time to time he’d hear some of the kids around school mention it. How their parents had met and everything had changed. He’d heard the excited voices talk about something that seemed so foreign. 

Colours. 

A speck of colour there, and here, and everywhere. Everyone knew that meeting your soulmate triggered your ability to see colour. 

The only problem was that Jeremy didn’t believe in soulmates. They were just too impractical. They seemed unrealistic and...mystical. It didn’t help that Jeremy’s mom had left during freshmen year, even after Jeremy’s father had sworn up and down that he could see colours. And he’d watched in silence as his dad sinked into nothingness, lonely without his wife. Jeremy had watched as his father got up around noon everyday and watched TV. He barely ate. He didn’t do anything useful. Jeremy stood by as his dad stuttered through life like a broken record. 

And all Jeremy could think was that he didn’t want himself to end up like that. Didn’t want himself to be spiral into nothingness like that. 

So, no. Jeremy didn’t believe in soulmates. He didn’t believe in the myth that was colour, and he never would. He was fine with his greys and blacks and whites. It was enough. 

Besides, he had much bigger problems than something as impractical as soulmates. He had graduation to worry about. 

Jeremy had left high school without a clue. No ideas as to what to do with his life. He’d watched as all his classmates threw those square hats into the air. And for a second, time seemed to freeze. It paused and Jeremy came to the realisation that, Jesus, I actually don’t have a plan. 

When the hats had dropped back down into his peers hands, pulled down by gravity, so did Jeremy’s hope for the future. 

“Jeremy! I just..wanted to say bye, I guess.” One of his semi-close friends, Rich, came bounding up to him. Jeremy turned, navy graduation robe swishing. He pasted on a small smile, waving slightly. “Oh, hey! Right, Jake told me you were heading off to Canada for college. That sounds...ambiguous, for you.” Rich smirked slightly, shrugging. “Hey, if I get to make video games and get away from my dad and be with my boyfriend at the same time, who am I to complain? Anyways, I’m actually leaving, like, right now. So.” Rich stood, a small smile on his face, eyeing Jeremy expectantly. Jeremy swallowed, opening his mouth to respond. 

Rich was one of the more popular kids of their school. He may have been a slight nerd, but everyone seemed to love him. He’d been top of the tech class, and had won an award in sophomore year for making a simple video game on a computer. He was well known throughout the school. He’d found his ‘soulmate’ in junior year. Jake. He was a laid back jock who most of the school had a crush on. Rich and him were very happy together. And, as Jeremy saw it, Rich was heading off to a good college to get a head start on his life. He was going somewhere. Where was Jeremy going? 

“I wish you...all the luck in the world, man.” Jeremy finally managed to stammer out, rubbing the back of his neck. Rich a shot pair finger guns at Jeremy, winking. “Don’t you worry. I’m gonna do just fine. I, uh, I hope you get somewhere good too.” Rich lifted his hand a little awkwardly for a bro shake. Jeremy smiled again and clasped their hands together, pulling Rich towards him and patting him on the back. 

“Good luck!” Rich called once more as he jogged down the hallway. Jeremy waved as Rich disappeared around the corner. “Bye.” He said, voice small. 

//

What did Jeremy end up doing? He ended up going home and telling his dad that he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t have any huge interests. When his father had suggested he follow in his footsteps and become a lawyer, Jeremy shot down the idea almost immediately. Because that was exactly the point. Jeremy didn’t want to be stuck doing some boring, mediocre job. He wanted to do something...incredible. Jeremy wanted to experience something that would impact him for the rest of his life. Being stuck in an office all day in dusty smelling suits wasn’t exactly on the top of the list. 

So, Jeremy had packed up some of his things into a suitcase. He’d cleaned up his room for the first time since the beginning of senior year. Then he’d said goodbye to his father and gotten in his car and driven away. Not anywhere in particular. Jeremy didn’t know where he was going; didn’t know what he was doing. He just knew that it was new. He’d never gotten in his car and driven off into the sunset just for the sake of it. Yet, here he was. A simple, basic high school graduate with no interests, driving to nowhere. 

Jeremy watched the grey of the sun shine over the hills. It was bright and as Jeremy rolled down his window, letting the warm wind tousle his hair, he couldn’t help but wonder how much more beautiful it would be in colour. 

He pushed the thought out of his mind and kept driving. 

//

Three months passed. 

Jeremy visited a lot of places. Mostly cities, though he wasn’t sure why. He liked the rush of being in a huge place where he seemed so small. It was perfect, for him. He could walk and see everything and observe without uprooting anything. It made him feel like he was part of something far bigger than himself. Chicago, Las Vegas, Portland, Las Angeles. He hit all of them. 

Jeremy thought it was a little ironic that he ended up in New York City. It was like a cliche movie. Boy-goes-on-a-road-trip-to-find-himself-and-ends-up-in-the-Big-Apple. Iconic, really. 

Jeremy hadn’t explicitly aimed for the city. He just decided to head there because he’d already traveled to a few major cities. 

It was well into September, by then. New York was cool. Not hot but not cold. As Jeremy walked the streets, hands in the pockets of his trench coat, he breathed in the sights. The tall skyscrapers. The way the lights of traffic and decorations bounced off the glass buildings and seemed to make everything sparkle and glow. Even the sounds made Jeremy feel a little happier. 

Still. He’d traveled three months of his life away and hadn’t done anything more than blow most of his money. Jeremy still needed to find...it. Find that something. Maybe he could become a photographer? He loved sight seeing. That’s what being a photographer would be...right? Going around and capturing small moments in the lenses of a camera. 

Jeremy walked back to the hotel that he’d rented out for the night in silence. Tomorrow, he’d look around some more. Maybe he’d find something that would interest him. 

That night, Jeremy dreamt of a man with an umbrella rested on his shoulder. It was positioned in such a way that Jeremy could only make out the bottom half of him, but not his face or hair. It made Jeremy feel a yearning, deep down in his heart that he couldn’t understand. 

//

The next morning, Jeremy woke up and got dressed. He packed his things and set them inside his car, ready for when he set off again later in the evening. He checked out of the hotel. He bought a bagel at a nearby cafe. 

The atmosphere was still dim as he began his day. 

It was a morning just like any other. Wake up, walk around, get in the car and leave. Go somewhere new. Keep trying to look for something to brighten up his life. Or, at the very least, find something to do with it. 

As Jeremy strolled the city sidewalk in silence, he came up to a dock. The ocean spread out into the distance. His bagel remained in his thin hand, uneaten. Maybe he’d just watch the sunrise. Then Jeremy would continue on. 

So Jeremy walked up to the water. Watched as the dark waves lapped up against the wooden boardwalk, splashing softly. The sky was stormy and grey, like it might start raining any second. Out in the horizon, Jeremy could make out the beginnings of light starting to peek through. He watched with wide eyes, feeling something stir in him. The brightness rose out of the clouds; out of the sea with a flourish, seeming to fill the entire city with light. Jeremy stared, unable to rip his eyes away. The bright was enough to hurt, but he didn’t care right now. 

‘It would look so much more beautiful in colour,’ Jeremy thought before he could stop his brain from delving into those familiar late night thoughts. ‘Maybe, but you don’t believe in soulmates. Soulmates are tacky.’

The sun rose steadily, soon fully above the waves and bringing slight warmth to New York City. Jeremy wished he could watch it over and over again. 

He took a few steps back, eyes lingering on the sun for a few more seconds. The moment seemed fragile. Like if he moved too suddenly, it would shatter and blow away like dust in the wind. 

And then something swooped down and yanked the bagel right out of Jeremy’s hand. 

He let out an unmanly squawk, stumbling over his own two feet. Jeremy managed to glimpse the seagull as it took off with his food, soaring into the unknown. He huffed, glaring only for a second before—

A rich sounding laugh filled Jeremy’s ears. He spun on his heel, turning to the sound. What Jeremy found was a man. 

He had smooth, tan skin. There were rectangle hipster glasses on the man’s nose, framing smouldering dark eyes that seemed to burn into Jeremy’s memory. And something...something else was there. In the man’s face. In the man’s body. In the man’s presence. It made Jeremy’s head spin. 

And, upon the stranger’s coated shoulder, was an umbrella. 

“Looks like that seagull was hungry!” The man said through his laughter, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth. Jeremy managed a weak smile, rubbing his neck. “Y-Yeah. It probably needed it more than I did, anyways.” The man finally calmed down, taking a few steps closer to Jeremy and smiling kindly. “I’m Michael Mell.” He didn’t hold out a hand, and Jeremy felt so embarrassed by what had just happened that he didn’t think he’d have been able to shake this man’s hand anyways. “Jeremy. Heere. Jeremy Heere.” Michael seemed to quirk up at the last name, like he found it amusing. “Well, Jeremy, what brings you heere today? Are you a local?” 

Jeremy felt a real laugh bubble in his throat at Michael’s smooth way of using his last name. He could barely even recall a time when his laugh had come out so easily. 

“N-No. I’m from New Jersey, just traveling right now.” Jeremy managed to speak through his racing thoughts. Michael beamed, positioning his glasses. “Oh, really? I was born in Red Bank!” Jeremy’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Woah, really? That’s, uh, that’s actually where I live. Well, used to.” Jeremy smiled towards the end, bringing his hands together so they wouldn’t fidget. Because they were definitely fidgeting. “No way! Guess we were destined to meet, huh?” Michael smiled again, and it made Jeremy feel something he had never felt before. 

Something. Isn’t that what Jeremy had been looking for this whole time? Four months of driving into the distance and Jeremy had found nothing that excited him besides the sights. And now came this stranger and...and it made him feel something. 

“Well then, Jeremy Heere. I have to get to work. But,” Michael moved one hand from around his umbrella handle and towards his pants pocket, pulling out a pen. “I know a cafe a little ways from here where you can get a killer plate of French toast. You know, since your breakfast got stolen.” Michael winked, holding his hand out, motioning for Jeremy to give him his own. Jeremy giggled—actually giggled—and nodded, hastily giving Michael his palm. “I could definitely use some food.” He admitted with a chuckle. Michael smiled warmly, taking Jeremy’s hand. “I’ll bet. You’re practically a twig! Uh, no offence.” But Jeremy was too distracted to take any notice of Michael’s comment. 

Because Michael’s hand for Christ’s sake. 

Just the slight touch of their hands as Michael scribbled on Jeremy’s palm sent...what? Sparks? Warmth? All of the above? Jeremy wasn’t sure, but maybe that was because he hadn’t felt in a long time. Emotion was such a foreign concept in this dull world. No colour to portray anything. No heart to believe in soulmates. But that soft, tan hand on his...

“There you go!” Michael’s hand was still wrapped lightly around Jeremy’s, but he put the pen away and shot another smile at Jeremy. It made Jeremy flush, heat rushing to his cheeks. “I’ll see you around.” Michael mumbled, smile fading away to a more intimate look. Jeremy nodded hastily. Michael squeezed Jeremy’s hand.

And for a single moment, Jeremy swore he saw something in Michael’s eyes. Call it a trick of the light, but Jeremy saw a flicker of...something other than black in Michael’s eyes. He couldn’t name the shade he saw, but it spiralled out into Michael’s irises, leaving an awestruck Jeremy in its path. A kaleidoscope of feeling that he couldn’t wrap his head around. And then Michael was gone, turning and walking away, back down the boardwalk. 

At the last minute, Michael turned and waved, another smile lighting up his face. Jeremy managed to smile back, holding up his hand in a small wave. Then he watched as Michael retreated into the distance. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Jeremy glanced towards his hand, looking for Michael’s scribbled down cafe address. 

What he found instead were...shades he’d never seen before. Not everywhere. Just a little. His long, slender fingers weren’t grey anymore. Jeremy’s coat sleeve was a weird shade that looked dark and natural. Jeremy wished he knew what the name of the shades were, but he didn’t. 

But colour. 

And an address written in small, messy letters. 

And a phone number. 

And colour. 

//

Jeremy Heere might believe in soulmates. 

With colour all around him; with spark in his life; with Michael Mell by his side now, it’s hard to deny it. Soulmates existed. And all Jeremy needed to do was go out and find his. 

“I love you.” Michael whispered to Jeremy in the quiet darkness of their room. He breathed the words down Jeremy’s neck. Jeremy relished in the warmth pressed into his body as Michael shifted into a spooning position. “I love you.” Jeremy replied almost immediately, voice soft and loving. 

“More than you could ever know.”

**Author's Note:**

> I really liked writing this, yo! Drop kudos and maybe a comment (they keep me alive). 
> 
> Thanks for a reading! ^^


End file.
